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8. Electronic Production

Tasks

Group assignment:

Here is the link to our group assignment.

  • Characterize the design rules for your in-house PCB production process: document feeds, speeds, plunge rate, depth of cut (traces and outline) and tooling.
  • Document the workflow for sending a PCB to a boardhouse
  • Document your work to the group work page and reflect on your individual page what you learned

Individual assignment:

  • Make and test a microcontroller development board that you designed

Group

What Is Plunge Rate?

The plunge rate is the speed at which the cutting tool moves vertically into the material, usually during the start of a cut or when milling a pocket. * Units: Typically in mm/min or IPM

Why It Matters

Going too fast = tool breakage, chatter, excessive heat

Going too slow = inefficient machining, tool wear

It is especially important when:

Milling deep pockets Drilling down into solid material Using a CNC router or mill Plunge Rate = 10% to 30% of Feed Rate Example:

Feed Rate = 1000 mm/min Safe Plunge Rate = 100–300 mm/min

This is because tools are less efficient and more stressed when moving straight into material.

Factors That Affect Plunge Rate

  1. Soft (wood/plastic) = faster plunge

  2. Hard (metal) = slower plunge

  3. Tool Type

4) Center-cutting end mills can plunge straight down - Non-center-cutting tools should ramp in, not plunge 5) Tool Diameter - The bigger the tool, the more it can handle faster plunge speeds 6) Material

Individual

The first step I did was create a simple skematic of my design.


Last update: May 20, 2025